Man banned from Rockford City Hall for one month after golf club incident

Kevin Haas Staff writer @kevinmhaas

Monday

Aug 15, 2016 at 1:35 PMAug 15, 2016 at 8:17 PM

ROCKFORD — Roland Poska, a familiar face at Rockford City Council meetings for his colorful weekly speeches, has been banned from City Hall after an incident last week.

Poska, an artist who utilizes the public comment section of meetings to push for residents to "do the impossible" and end violence and prejudice, was notified by City Attorney Patrick Hayes today that he was not welcome at City Hall. The ban comes one week after he tapped a fellow City Council speaker on the neck and head with a golf club.

The ban will last until Sept. 14, according to a notice given to Poska by the city.

"Based on your behavior on August 8, 2016, which included striking a public speaker with a golf club during that individual's comments to the City Council, you are hereby notified that you are forbidden from entering City Hall or the adjacent parking lot to the south of City Hall," the notice reads. It says that entering City Hall property could result in a Class B misdemeanor.

Poska said he did not strike his fellow speaker, but intended to come as close to him as possible without contacting him.

Last week, Poska prodded fellow City Council regular Toby Haldeman with a golf club while Haldeman was speaking during public comment. The incident, like all City Council meetings, was recorded on video.

"It wasn't the severity of the attack, or the force behind it, it was that it happened at all," said Haldeman, who was upset there wasn't an immediate response to stop Poska. "An assault is an assault."

Poska sat at the steps of City Hall today, helping people in and out of the building by pressing the button that automatically opens the door. He was later told he could not be on City Hall grounds.

Haldeman spoke at the Aug. 8 City Council meeting while holding a blonde doll with a long nose that he dubbed "The Hillary Clinocchio" doll. Almost as soon as Haldeman began to speak, Poska appears to have tapped him on head with a golf club driver that Poska carries with him regularly. Poska said he carries the golf club with him for multiple reasons.

"It works every which way. It works as a door opener," he said today while using the handle to push the button that automatically opens doors at City Hall. "It works as a defensive mechanism. It works, I think, as a golf club, although I never did do it right."

At first, Haldeman laughed it off. But when he continued his speech, Poska again began tapping him with the golf club and shouted, "That's enough, that's enough, that's enough."

"Stop assaulting me," Haldeman responded to Poska. "I'm not amused."

Haldeman asked the Rockford Police Department to document the incident and told an officer he was considering pressing charges.

"I observed Poska tap Haldeman on the back of the head several times with his golf club, which I thought might be part of the skit/speech," a Rockford officer wrote in his report on the incident. The Register Star obtained the police report through a Freedom of Information Act request. "Haldeman said Poska was not involved in his speech and he believed he was hitting him with the golf club because his speech was against Hillary Clinton. Haldeman said Poska hit him 10-11 times in the back of the head and back."

Poska said "the police questioned me ... but nobody really took it seriously except Toby. It was great fun and games, but unfortunately he didn't take it that way."

Poska said when he signed up on Aug. 9 to speak at the following week's City Council meeting, "me and the secretary got into some fun and games" about whether Poska could put materials out in City Hall. Poska often puts artwork and information up in City Hall that further expound on his mission to "make Rockford great," "expand thinking" and "expand the money supply." He said Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey told him posting such material was OK.

"They just don't want to make Rockford great," Poska said. "I was really looking to see how it was going to end up, my stint at City Hall. I never dreamed that Rockford City Hall wouldn't want to lead the world into greatness."

Haldeman said the city should ban Poska. "It's a precedence that we are not going to allow a physical altercation or confrontation to happen," he said. "At minimum, that is the least they could have done."

Haldeman said he would continue his weekly speeches no matter whether Poska was present. But for his next speech, he said, "I'm bringing a hard hat."

And he did Monday night, pulling a blue construction helmet out of a brown paper bag, and using words he usually uses at the end of his speech at the beginning of his address to the council.

"I will not be silent," he said.

Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; khaas@rrstar.com; @KevinMHaas

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.